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Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Drive It Like You Stole It Poker Run at Reflections
I had to check this one out! Personally I have never been on a Poker Run, so I was not sure what to expect at all, however, this was a Ronald McDonald House charity event so I had to go.
Let me tell you folks my thoughts on the charity they chose first, I think it was absolutely awesome. My family has had personal dealings with this organization a long time ago. My nephew became extremely ill at 1 year of age, and my sister in law (at that time was my brothers new girlfriend) did not have much money at all, and this organization stepped in to help her care for this child. He remained there until his passing (which was way too young), but they treated him and the other children there as if they were their own. I have to say that as a parent, I am happy to know that there is such an organization out there that really does love and care for terminal children!
That being said (can you tell it hit a soft spot on me), I want to tell you about this event! A local motorcycle club, The Predators, and Reflections hosted this event together. When I first walked in, there was leather as far as the eye could see (not in a kinky way .. although I guess it could be .. lol). There were representatives and bikers from several of the local motorcycle groups that were there signing up for this run. Since I had never gone on a "Poker Run", I had to get some information on it, which John (President of the Predators) was happy to give, and so now I am passing it on to you!
The concept of a poker run is that you begin at one venue, and there is a route that is given when you sign up here to go to other venues along the way. At each venue that you stop at, you are given a poker card, and once you return to the beginning venue, you are given your final card. At that time, you turn over your "hand" of poker to see what you have. At a specified time (which you need to be back by), the person who picked up the best hand on the way wins! Now I personally don't play poker, but this is fairly idiot proof, so I am game (no holding cards, drawing, its just blind luck).
One of my first questions after the actual run was explained to me, is "do I need to have a bike to do this run", and the answer is "No". As long as you have a means to get to each location in the time allotted, your good to go! I felt a little out of place at first (being one of the only ones without a vest), but everyone was very polite and friendly and I can not recall a time that I was sitting by myself without someone coming up and talking with me. So if your a bit rocked back because you don't own a motorcycle and such, don't be, they are some of the best folks I have met so far in a club!
Now on this run, they did it a little differently for the run: they made 2 other stops and then came back to Reflections where you drew all of your cards at once. So the time came for everyone to begin the run .. down to the wire, I figured what the hell, I going for it! So I get in my bad ass 4 cylinder car and rev up the hamsters to get them moving! The bikes pull out of Reflections parking lot and we are off!! First stop is Aww Shucks Oyster Bar, which I have never been too (but you can bet I am going back to review it). We stayed there for about 30 minutes, where everyone was having a few beers or some oysters on the back patio .. then the call goes out "lets go"! We continued down 231 to Hwy 14 and followed it into Tallassee to a Mexican Restaurant called Cozumel's. It's here where everyone decided to grab a bit to eat, food was great, cheap, and in generous quantity .. perfect combination!! After everyone was done eating and paying, its time to head back to Reflections.
The ride itself was amazing from my view. I held the tail end (since I was in a car), and there is something about being behind 30 motorcycles roaring down the highway that is just awesome to see. The only problem I had was that the hamsters didn't want to accelerate as fast as the bikes did, so I did find myself playing catchup a lot, HOWEVER, which ever bike was holding the traffic for the turns, always waited until I came through the turn as well before heading back into there place in the caravan (knowing I was following them in a car). Although I was not on a bike for this run, I still felt like part of the run and a part of the group, which in itself is a GREAT feeling. Now being in the car wasn't a complete disadvantage though .. I had air conditioning .. HAHAHA!!
As we pulled into Reflections, you immediately seen all the women who were on the back of the bikes uniformly dismount and rub their legs and butts out (it was quite comical really) as the bikes were being parked. Hot, sweaty and a little sun kissed, everyone entered the venue for a cold drink and some cool air! Once everyone recouped, and the burgers and dogs were being served, everyone began drawing their hands. The winner of the poker run (I failed to get his name or club so if you know it, please comment so I can add), was so very generous that he donated his winnings back to the charity!! There was also a raffle for a Ronald McDonald cake, and to up the "bounty" on this cake, the President (John) offered to donate his services: "whomever won the cake cake would have the privilege of smearing it in his face", which immediately caused more sales (seemed like a really popular guy .. lol). Even after the winner was drawn (Sweet Pea), the cake was so sought after, she was receiving bribes from other club members to sell it to them, which she did and donated the additional money back to the charity again!
It was really a great time, and was for a great charity, and although I was a little hesitant to participate in the beginning, I am so glad I did and wouldn't trade it for anything! Absolutely FANTASTIC event, fabulous people, and down right damn good time!! I also see that there was over $1,000.00 raised for the charity during this event .. GREAT JOB!! I would encourage EVERYONE to check out one of these charity rides in the future, you definitely wont be disappointed!!
Let me tell you folks my thoughts on the charity they chose first, I think it was absolutely awesome. My family has had personal dealings with this organization a long time ago. My nephew became extremely ill at 1 year of age, and my sister in law (at that time was my brothers new girlfriend) did not have much money at all, and this organization stepped in to help her care for this child. He remained there until his passing (which was way too young), but they treated him and the other children there as if they were their own. I have to say that as a parent, I am happy to know that there is such an organization out there that really does love and care for terminal children!
That being said (can you tell it hit a soft spot on me), I want to tell you about this event! A local motorcycle club, The Predators, and Reflections hosted this event together. When I first walked in, there was leather as far as the eye could see (not in a kinky way .. although I guess it could be .. lol). There were representatives and bikers from several of the local motorcycle groups that were there signing up for this run. Since I had never gone on a "Poker Run", I had to get some information on it, which John (President of the Predators) was happy to give, and so now I am passing it on to you!
The concept of a poker run is that you begin at one venue, and there is a route that is given when you sign up here to go to other venues along the way. At each venue that you stop at, you are given a poker card, and once you return to the beginning venue, you are given your final card. At that time, you turn over your "hand" of poker to see what you have. At a specified time (which you need to be back by), the person who picked up the best hand on the way wins! Now I personally don't play poker, but this is fairly idiot proof, so I am game (no holding cards, drawing, its just blind luck).
One of my first questions after the actual run was explained to me, is "do I need to have a bike to do this run", and the answer is "No". As long as you have a means to get to each location in the time allotted, your good to go! I felt a little out of place at first (being one of the only ones without a vest), but everyone was very polite and friendly and I can not recall a time that I was sitting by myself without someone coming up and talking with me. So if your a bit rocked back because you don't own a motorcycle and such, don't be, they are some of the best folks I have met so far in a club!
Now on this run, they did it a little differently for the run: they made 2 other stops and then came back to Reflections where you drew all of your cards at once. So the time came for everyone to begin the run .. down to the wire, I figured what the hell, I going for it! So I get in my bad ass 4 cylinder car and rev up the hamsters to get them moving! The bikes pull out of Reflections parking lot and we are off!! First stop is Aww Shucks Oyster Bar, which I have never been too (but you can bet I am going back to review it). We stayed there for about 30 minutes, where everyone was having a few beers or some oysters on the back patio .. then the call goes out "lets go"! We continued down 231 to Hwy 14 and followed it into Tallassee to a Mexican Restaurant called Cozumel's. It's here where everyone decided to grab a bit to eat, food was great, cheap, and in generous quantity .. perfect combination!! After everyone was done eating and paying, its time to head back to Reflections.
The ride itself was amazing from my view. I held the tail end (since I was in a car), and there is something about being behind 30 motorcycles roaring down the highway that is just awesome to see. The only problem I had was that the hamsters didn't want to accelerate as fast as the bikes did, so I did find myself playing catchup a lot, HOWEVER, which ever bike was holding the traffic for the turns, always waited until I came through the turn as well before heading back into there place in the caravan (knowing I was following them in a car). Although I was not on a bike for this run, I still felt like part of the run and a part of the group, which in itself is a GREAT feeling. Now being in the car wasn't a complete disadvantage though .. I had air conditioning .. HAHAHA!!
As we pulled into Reflections, you immediately seen all the women who were on the back of the bikes uniformly dismount and rub their legs and butts out (it was quite comical really) as the bikes were being parked. Hot, sweaty and a little sun kissed, everyone entered the venue for a cold drink and some cool air! Once everyone recouped, and the burgers and dogs were being served, everyone began drawing their hands. The winner of the poker run (I failed to get his name or club so if you know it, please comment so I can add), was so very generous that he donated his winnings back to the charity!! There was also a raffle for a Ronald McDonald cake, and to up the "bounty" on this cake, the President (John) offered to donate his services: "whomever won the cake cake would have the privilege of smearing it in his face", which immediately caused more sales (seemed like a really popular guy .. lol). Even after the winner was drawn (Sweet Pea), the cake was so sought after, she was receiving bribes from other club members to sell it to them, which she did and donated the additional money back to the charity again!
It was really a great time, and was for a great charity, and although I was a little hesitant to participate in the beginning, I am so glad I did and wouldn't trade it for anything! Absolutely FANTASTIC event, fabulous people, and down right damn good time!! I also see that there was over $1,000.00 raised for the charity during this event .. GREAT JOB!! I would encourage EVERYONE to check out one of these charity rides in the future, you definitely wont be disappointed!!
Saturday Night Update
So of course I went to the charity event on Saturday afternoon, but while I was there, I noticed some changes to the venue that I felt rated an updated review, so that night I was out there again!
The first thing that I have to right about is the back patio area, since it was not open (or at least being utilized) the last time I was there which was a weekday. This is such a very unique area for a night club, this takes you out of the night club feel and into a beach bar feel. As you come outside, you will find a small stage on your left which is elevated about 3 feet from the ground for bands to play on. They have a separate music selection out here too, which is much more relaxing and unwinding from the nightclub portion of the venue. There are a few fire pits around that are sparked up when it get a little chilly, and several wrought iron table sets to sit at. Next to the bar they have Big Freddy's Wings & Things were you can get a generous portion of food. You don't even have to ask .. of course I tried it out, and it tasted awesome, I had the pulled pork sandwich with fries and there was so much I couldn't eat it all (easily enough to feed 2 people for $9 and this is a meal). Also, they have installed a sanded volleyball court back in this area, which really brings the theme of this area together!
I also noticed that the lounge area now has sliding walls, to separate the club from private parties I am assuming. I watched all of the bartenders and every one of them were smiling and looked happy to be working there. They all chatted with almost all of the customers as they came up and had 4 bars open with 6 bartenders which meant no one was waiting for a drink. Excellent customer service all around from these bartenders, I couldn't find one that was not smiling or dancing along with the music when they weren't cleaning or restocking.
Watching the crowd was amusing in itself, again it is a true large city nightclub feel. For a while I noticed about 10 women (age 21-26 area) walking in for every one guy, so I changed my seating to get a better view of the dance floor. The ladies who were dance were not shy about what they wanted. I watched a few guys go up and start dancing with them and get dismissed, but a lucky few were selected to stay and dance by these lovely ladies. Everyone was either dancing on the lighted dance floor or standing around the dance floor moving to the music and mingling. It is a really energetic feeling especially with the great club music that DJ JayTee was playing and the fog and light show he was mixing in, a perfect display.
I also pulled a new favored crawler out of this group, Josh Corley! Very charismatic guy and was talking and mingling with everyone. Great club attitude and the girls seem to like him as well! If you happen to see him out and about, great person to say hi to!
Updated Review:
1. Atmosphere: 10
2. Service: 9
3. Physical Comfort: 8
4. Safety: 7
Updated overall rating: 8.5
The first thing that I have to right about is the back patio area, since it was not open (or at least being utilized) the last time I was there which was a weekday. This is such a very unique area for a night club, this takes you out of the night club feel and into a beach bar feel. As you come outside, you will find a small stage on your left which is elevated about 3 feet from the ground for bands to play on. They have a separate music selection out here too, which is much more relaxing and unwinding from the nightclub portion of the venue. There are a few fire pits around that are sparked up when it get a little chilly, and several wrought iron table sets to sit at. Next to the bar they have Big Freddy's Wings & Things were you can get a generous portion of food. You don't even have to ask .. of course I tried it out, and it tasted awesome, I had the pulled pork sandwich with fries and there was so much I couldn't eat it all (easily enough to feed 2 people for $9 and this is a meal). Also, they have installed a sanded volleyball court back in this area, which really brings the theme of this area together!
I also noticed that the lounge area now has sliding walls, to separate the club from private parties I am assuming. I watched all of the bartenders and every one of them were smiling and looked happy to be working there. They all chatted with almost all of the customers as they came up and had 4 bars open with 6 bartenders which meant no one was waiting for a drink. Excellent customer service all around from these bartenders, I couldn't find one that was not smiling or dancing along with the music when they weren't cleaning or restocking.
Watching the crowd was amusing in itself, again it is a true large city nightclub feel. For a while I noticed about 10 women (age 21-26 area) walking in for every one guy, so I changed my seating to get a better view of the dance floor. The ladies who were dance were not shy about what they wanted. I watched a few guys go up and start dancing with them and get dismissed, but a lucky few were selected to stay and dance by these lovely ladies. Everyone was either dancing on the lighted dance floor or standing around the dance floor moving to the music and mingling. It is a really energetic feeling especially with the great club music that DJ JayTee was playing and the fog and light show he was mixing in, a perfect display.
I also pulled a new favored crawler out of this group, Josh Corley! Very charismatic guy and was talking and mingling with everyone. Great club attitude and the girls seem to like him as well! If you happen to see him out and about, great person to say hi to!
Updated Review:
1. Atmosphere: 10
2. Service: 9
3. Physical Comfort: 8
4. Safety: 7
Updated overall rating: 8.5
Friday Night Updates
Friday night we made it to two places to do updates do to the changes I heard about! I know you folks all want to hear about new places, and it is coming up, however, when major changes occur I really want to get them out there!
Rewind
On this night, they had a live band .. Erica and Soulshine. They played some great pop/rock and top 40's. They loved to engage the audience and the song selection was great! I am not a music critic at all as there are some genre's that I don't like, so I try to stay away from reviewing live bands if I can, but I can say that I really did enjoy this one! As usual, you could find Mackie mixing it up with the crowd and the band, and generally energizing the place (I really wonder how many red bulls she must drink a night to keep so fired up and energetic .. might make that a contest .. lol).
During this visit, I had found some updates on the club that should be noted. First, a booth has been installed that sectioned off the bar area from the dance floor, giving great definition to the club side of the venue. From the looks of it, the females really like this new area as they can still be tucked away when they want to party, but can easily look over the booths and enjoy the slightly raised perch overlooking the dance floor. Did I mention how comfortable this area is too, great idea to add to the venue!!
I also got a chance to go back into the VIP section and check it out. Now from what I gather, this area can be rented out for special events such as bachelor and birthday parties. The back wall is lined with several very comfortable booths, and several tables and chairs are located throughout this area. I am estimating that you could comfortable fit a party of 30 back there. Also, the VIP bar is bumped up against this area so you can have your drinks ordered without leaving this area.
Also, I found that they have installed a UV light pool table in front of the VIP area which is pretty unique as well (the rest of the tables can be found in the bar area of the venue). Although this is a very unique table, it takes away from the night club feel of that side (one might consider moving it into the VIP area since its separated).
Updated review: after checking out the changes here, the following changes have been made to their initial review:
1. Atmosphere: 9
2. Cleanliness: 7 (still no hand soap or paper towel in the men's bathroom)
Overall updated review: 8.0
Stuckeys
Stopped in for a brief check of Stuckeys to update on some of the changes as well!
One of the most notable changes here is that the stage/dance area has been re floored and a guard railing has been installed around the floor. They have also improved their lighting effects for the dance area and added another base speaker to really pump up the club. This is one of the most focus forward dance floor I have seen, and gives this area a quasi cage feel making you feel quite special when you are up there!
1. Atmosphere: 8
2. Safety: 9
3. Originality: 8
Overall updated review: 8.2
Rewind
On this night, they had a live band .. Erica and Soulshine. They played some great pop/rock and top 40's. They loved to engage the audience and the song selection was great! I am not a music critic at all as there are some genre's that I don't like, so I try to stay away from reviewing live bands if I can, but I can say that I really did enjoy this one! As usual, you could find Mackie mixing it up with the crowd and the band, and generally energizing the place (I really wonder how many red bulls she must drink a night to keep so fired up and energetic .. might make that a contest .. lol).
During this visit, I had found some updates on the club that should be noted. First, a booth has been installed that sectioned off the bar area from the dance floor, giving great definition to the club side of the venue. From the looks of it, the females really like this new area as they can still be tucked away when they want to party, but can easily look over the booths and enjoy the slightly raised perch overlooking the dance floor. Did I mention how comfortable this area is too, great idea to add to the venue!!
I also got a chance to go back into the VIP section and check it out. Now from what I gather, this area can be rented out for special events such as bachelor and birthday parties. The back wall is lined with several very comfortable booths, and several tables and chairs are located throughout this area. I am estimating that you could comfortable fit a party of 30 back there. Also, the VIP bar is bumped up against this area so you can have your drinks ordered without leaving this area.
Also, I found that they have installed a UV light pool table in front of the VIP area which is pretty unique as well (the rest of the tables can be found in the bar area of the venue). Although this is a very unique table, it takes away from the night club feel of that side (one might consider moving it into the VIP area since its separated).
Updated review: after checking out the changes here, the following changes have been made to their initial review:
1. Atmosphere: 9
2. Cleanliness: 7 (still no hand soap or paper towel in the men's bathroom)
Overall updated review: 8.0
Stuckeys
Stopped in for a brief check of Stuckeys to update on some of the changes as well!
One of the most notable changes here is that the stage/dance area has been re floored and a guard railing has been installed around the floor. They have also improved their lighting effects for the dance area and added another base speaker to really pump up the club. This is one of the most focus forward dance floor I have seen, and gives this area a quasi cage feel making you feel quite special when you are up there!
1. Atmosphere: 8
2. Safety: 9
3. Originality: 8
Overall updated review: 8.2
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Rage in the Cage at Rewind
This event was AWESOME! The first thing I noticed off the bat coming into Rewind was a 8 foot tall, hexigon, MMA style cage .. great first impression! This looked like a true professional event. Soon after arriving, Will (the promoter) arrived and double checked the cage and had some adjustments made for the safety of the participants. I had the pleasure of speaking with Will for a while, and found that he is a fight promoter, and knows the rules and regulations to a "T" when it comes to events like this.
The fights started around 11:30 pm, and the venue was packed by this time. As the first fight started, you got the impression that you were in the "Mad Max Thunderdome". About 5 minutes prior to the fighters squaring off in the ring, the crowd pressed around the cage stacking 5 or 6 deep. The first fight started and the crowd erupted into cheering and screaming for the fighters. The feeling of the event was almost primal as if two gladiators were battling it out in an ancient arena, and the energy of the crowd and fighters was amazing. The promoters commentaries and music selections by the DJ kept the crowd roaring which in turn kept the fights energized. This repeated with every bout.
I was lucky enough on this night to see a knock out fight in the heavyweight catagory by Justin Coleman, and a few damn close decisions. The fights were only broken up when absolutely necessary, which wasn't very often as most of the fighters were pretty well trained. Each winner received $100.00 and the best fight of the night resulted in an additional $100.00 tatoo certificate. I was so hyped up, I can't remember the exact number of fights, but I would rough guess between 8 and 10 for the night.
There is a $5.00 cover to get into this event, and they do have special ringside VIP seating available for an additional charge, which is well worth it but limited! All in all, it was a fantastic night on the town, and an amazing event. If you want tons of energy, wild fights, and lots of company this is the place to be on Wednesday nights!!
This event, along with the choice of venue to host it made for a great combination. This would be my top pick of the weekday to go see if you have to make a choice of only going out once during the week and needing to reenergize on hump day!
The fights started around 11:30 pm, and the venue was packed by this time. As the first fight started, you got the impression that you were in the "Mad Max Thunderdome". About 5 minutes prior to the fighters squaring off in the ring, the crowd pressed around the cage stacking 5 or 6 deep. The first fight started and the crowd erupted into cheering and screaming for the fighters. The feeling of the event was almost primal as if two gladiators were battling it out in an ancient arena, and the energy of the crowd and fighters was amazing. The promoters commentaries and music selections by the DJ kept the crowd roaring which in turn kept the fights energized. This repeated with every bout.
I was lucky enough on this night to see a knock out fight in the heavyweight catagory by Justin Coleman, and a few damn close decisions. The fights were only broken up when absolutely necessary, which wasn't very often as most of the fighters were pretty well trained. Each winner received $100.00 and the best fight of the night resulted in an additional $100.00 tatoo certificate. I was so hyped up, I can't remember the exact number of fights, but I would rough guess between 8 and 10 for the night.
There is a $5.00 cover to get into this event, and they do have special ringside VIP seating available for an additional charge, which is well worth it but limited! All in all, it was a fantastic night on the town, and an amazing event. If you want tons of energy, wild fights, and lots of company this is the place to be on Wednesday nights!!
This event, along with the choice of venue to host it made for a great combination. This would be my top pick of the weekday to go see if you have to make a choice of only going out once during the week and needing to reenergize on hump day!
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